Day off

Today Wednesday is my Sunday.  This is my 3rd season at the Timpanogos Cave National Monument. I am debating whether I will return for a 4th. I have been exhausted every day and spend so much time sleeping.  I have been crabby and just not enjoying it as much.  I have made lovely friends and would miss them..but I am not painting. And the pay is bad. I am tired. I realize this has a lot to do with some back and arthritis issues. This morning I woke in so much pain that my hands were useless. It took an hour for the 2 tramadol to work. I get 2 days off and need at least 3 to recover. Going to foot doctor tomorrow and hoping to get a cortisone shot to relieve swelling that new expensive orthopedic shoes have not addressed.  Back issues are chronic. I feel like a complaining baby!  And customer service is the pits. Even  a fun place gets angry impatient people. Parents who are either impatient with their kids or kids ignored by parents and tearing thru the bookstore.   Sad situations unfold everyday here from neglect of children, grandparents, pets and general pissiness of entitled  yuppies, and people who challenge the rules for safety.  It is not so much fun and I admire those fellow employees who maintain their enthusiasm. But even the  best of these are showing wear and tear.  
But I am going to a plein air event August 29, 30 and 31st. Going with a great new artist friend..sharing expenses and looking forward to the time away. And September at the end of the season..I am going to Oregon for the birth of my first grandchild. So things to look forward to even if I am going to be doing it on a shoestring.  
Lets see if I can find some fairly recent art to show you. And thanks for letting me vent about my tiny problems.

I have been really remiss on even reading blogs..much less posting! I have been on facebook and pinterest, went back to work at the visitor's center on May 25th. Still getting knee back up to snuff...feels great today!
I have done some plein air and am in a new series of acrylic on YUPO..had to blow away hard drive on this old laptop and have to reload pics but here is what I have done lately 

Have a great day everyone.

Beach is Open

Feeding Frenzy

The Pier

The Island

Beach Party

Flying Before the Storm

Rocky Beach

Rockin Surf

Inlet Out


And best news ever...I will be Grandma for the first time in September..and no they don't want to know boy or girl!  My son Shane and his girl Alisa. Moved to Eugene Oregon in September...Happy day

wow..it has been a long time!!!

I have been very negligent of this blog but I think I have a few excuses!!! Lets see...at the end of October I had the injections for pain in my back and it seemed to help. I flew to Ohio for three weeks to visit Mom just 2 days later. I had a very nice visit..even if my youngest brother tried to pick fights over the then upcoming election. I finally had to tell him that I had already voted by absentee ballot and there was no going back!!! I took my 87 year old Mom to vote and it was pretty awesome. We didn't have to stand too long in line and she took her time. She refused to vote early, was prepared to stand in long lines because she loves to go to the polls. And we had a wonderful election night..my brother's Romney/Ryan sign disappeared very early the next morning. After spending 3 weeks in Akron...I flew home and 2 days later had my right knee fully replaced. What an experience that has been!!! I went straight from the hospital to an inpatient short term rehab facility on Thanksgiving day. wow...I felt like the queen of everything. Private room, private bathroom w/shower. kitchenette, beautiful dining room, great food, a therapy staff that was awesome. I decided not to eat in my room and made some fun friends. I was in a wheelchair for one day..then a walker...4 weeks later I was barely using a cane. I went home and started outpatient therapy the next day. I have been going there 3 days a week. If it hadn't been for them I might have never gotten this far. I was using painkiller as prescribed but got addicted anyway! That never happened to me before although I have used these same drugs in past surgeries. I wouldn't wish the feelings of withdrawal to my worse enemies...well maybe!!! I got worked hard in therapy and that did help. so 8 weeks later the sciatica pain returned and I went back today for another pain management session with injections. The knee is very good and I am planing hiking and walking and snowshoeing in my future! I just found out that I am going to be a grandma for the first time in September of this year. I have been lax on painting but hope to get to it. I am posting 2 little plein air watercolors I did a few Saturdays ago with a paint out. These were done from the 4th floor of the Main City Library in Salt Lake City. They are 8x8 inches. so now we are caught up with me I will go back and look at your past posts. As soon as I get the taxes done!!!

There's More to Life Than Being Happy - The Atlantic

There's More to Life Than Being Happy - The Atlantic